Another strong pitching game from pitching-strong Kernels

CEDAR RAPIDS – He's a happy guy, and he should be.

'I'm elated,” Cedar Rapids Kernels pitching coach Henry Bonilla said, after his team shutout Burlington, 4-0, Saturday night before 5,645 fans at Veterans Memorial Stadium. 'We've challenged them, and they have answered the challenge.”

The Kernels moved to 47-33 with a combined five-hitter from Zack Tillery and Randy LeBlanc This isn't the most prolific team offensively you've ever seen, so it's been pitching and defense that have gotten the Kernels a playoff spot and a nice overall record.

Cedar Rapids came into Saturday ranked second in the 16-team MWL in earned run average (2.75), with this its eighth shutout. Starters and relievers, they've all been pretty good.

'We have challenged them to be open about new things, to try new things, and to put themselves in uncomfortable situations,” said Bonilla, who coached many of these pitchers last season in Rookie ball at Elizabethton. 'They've done that, they've responded well. I will say this, everyone picks each other up. If the starter goes five and dive, there are three or four guys that will come in. If the bullpen is worn out, Tillery steps up today. They pull for each other as a staff.

'I've told them to try and be the best staff in the league as a whole. If that happens, even the worst guy is going to have a pretty good season. They bought into it. They all pull for each other, and it is really good to see that. If one guy is down, they all help to pick each other up.”

Tillery (5-3) threw 90 pitches in seven innings, which is the longest he's ever gone as a starter. He said his longest outing in college at Florida Gulf Coast also was seven innings.

He gave up just five hits, walked one and struck out two. LeBlanc, who has been kind of an unsung bullpen hero, finished it up.

He's got a fine earned run average of 1.52 in 47.1 innings. Tillery, who has been shifted to a starter's role from the bullpen, has an ERA of 2.31.

'The first inning for me this year has been the toughest inning. Just to get a feel for everything,” Tillery said. 'I've been working on different pitches. I've been working with a changeup, and the changeup has been good tonight. The cut fastball was pretty good, and the breaking ball was pretty clutch. I was getting it over for a strike, and everything just worked from there. I only had two punchouts tonight, so you can tell the defense was great behind me.”

'Change is uncomfortable,” Bonilla said. 'When you are used to the same thing, that's comfort. I tell the guys it could be something as small as your foot positioning, you've got to alter it … We tweak little little things, and we tweak their mindsets a little bit and get them out of their norm. They are used to this and this, but we are trying to get them all to the big leagues. They've done a great job all year. All year.”

The Kernels scored twice in the first inning, on a sacrifice fly from Alex Real and run-scoring double by Zack Larson. The teams play again Sunday afternoon at 2:05.

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